Many different kinds of portfolios, binders, books, and folders exist, which hereinafter will be referred to generally as folders. Some well known types include three ring binders, spiral-bound notebooks and clasped folders. These are used to retain individual sheets, usually of paper, so that they can viewed as if they were bound in a book. Sometimes clear envelopes are included to retain and protect flat items for later display or study. These retained items typically include warranties, magazine clippings, reports and graphs, certificates, legal documents, photographs and negatives, collectible stamps and any other flat items including pressed flowers or other organic samples, where clear, usually plastic, envelopes can provide safe storage and display.
When viewing what is stored within such a folder, it is normal to open the folder so that its front and back covers lay flat on a surface, or to hold the front and back covers manually while turning the pages. This is particularly inconvenient when self-display of sheets is desired. Therefore, there are many devices to support folders, books and other information containing devices, such as with racks or devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,786 by Liang-Feng Su teaches a triangular easel held in display position with the assistance of a hook and loop fastening system, formed from the cover of a book so that one page at a time can be flipped over the apex of the triangle for display.
However, there has been a need for a display device for folders which allows the folders to be displayed in an open position with pages side to side like a book. In addition, there is a need to provide a device that can be added to the covers of existing devices, either during the production thereof or later to add the above-mentioned display feature thereto. Such devices, to be commercially viable must be extremely economical to produce, easily adaptable to most prior art folders, and light-weight, and constructed and installed so it does not interfere with any of the normal functionality of a portfolio, binder, book, or folder.
The present invention includes a support sheet made of relatively stiff paperboard, plastic or a combination thereof, which is used to convert a folder for containing flat sheets of display material into an open display device, which supports itself from a horizontal surface substantially vertical. The support sheet includes two vertical creases, partial cuts, or perforation lines therein (hereinafter referred to as creases), centrally spaced and just further apart than the normal maximum thickness of the folder to be displayed so that the support sheet can nest about the outside surfaces of the covers and spine of the folder when the folder is closed. The support sheet is loosely connected to the folder by a plurality of fasteners near its bottom edge to the area adjacent the bottom edge of the folder. Typical fasteners for attachment include rivets, or fender screws and T nuts. The fasteners may be separate components, or if plastic rivets, may be integral with the support sheet. The fasteners extend through horizontally elongated holes so that the support sheet and covers can slide relative to each other a shall amount as the folder is opened and closed to accommodate the thickness of the covers and the support sheet without buckling. Although the support sheet may be fixed with respect to one cover and mounted loosely with respect to the other, better folding occurs when the support sheet is loosely connected to both covers.
The support sheet is formed into a support member by providing a first horizontal crease just above the fasteners, and a second horizontal crease at about 30 to 40% of the remaining distance to the top edge of the sheet. No bending occurs at the horizontal creases when the support sheet is not in use as a support, and is nested against the outer surfaces of the covers and the spine of the folder. Thus, three horizontal ribbons of material are formed by the horizontal creases, a lower narrow ribbon for attachment to the folder, a middle medium sized ribbon for forming, when folded, the base of the support member, and an upper ribbon whose upper edge releasably engages with the front and back covers to retain the covers in a plane and to support them in a generally upright position. The attachment of the upper edge of the support sheet to the covers typically is by sliding the upper edge under downwardly facing tabs formed by cut-outs in the covers or cut outs in small tab members attached to the outside of stiff covers. The relative length of the middle ribbon and the upper ribbon primarily determines the angle, close to vertical, at which the pages within the folder will be displayed. The lower ribbon may have a cut-out adjacent the spine area of the folder to allow a portion of the spine to be displayed and to ease folding of the folder.
In addition, corner holders are provided either on separate relatively stiff sheets or at the lower inner corners of the covers. The corner holders are used to retain the lower, outer corners of the display pages to prevent the display pages from sagging under the force of gravity when the folder is open and being used for display.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light and economical folder with a display support, which increases the utility of the folder, especially those equipped with transparent envelopes for the display of information on sheets that need to be held flat.
Another object is to provide a display support for prior art folders and page supports which can be added to a folder or binder after manufacture.
Another object is to provide a display support for folders that holds the front and rear covers of such folders in a plane and nearly vertical when placed on a horizontal surface and holds the display pages therein against the covers.
Another object is to provide a folder support which allows a folder to remain upright and stable on a horizontal surface while its interior pages are being turned.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed specification and drawings wherein: